Clifotn High School's buzzer beater stuns Don Bosco Prep

Clifton boys basketball's roller coaster of a season hit its highest point last Thursday, with a result that seemed unfathomable beforehand.

The Mustangs (7-11), coming off back-to-back letdowns against struggling Passaic and dominant Eastside, pulled off what might have been one of the year's most shocking upsets in all of New Jersey, beating parochial power Don Bosco Prep, 70-69, in Ramsey on a deep buzzer-beating three-pointer buy senior guard Tyler Lavin.

"I challenged our guys to show that we were the tough team that showed up early this season," Clifton head coach Mike Rivera said. "I saw in our players' faces that they believed they could win."

The victory was poetic justice, of sorts, for Clifton, who on Feb. 1 lost to Passaic at the buzzer in the Passaic County Tournament's opening round—just three weeks after downing the Indians by 23. They followed up that loss with a 61-30 loss to Eastside.

Against Bosco, senior guard Malik Mouzone hit two late clutch free throws for the Mustangs, while senior guard Elijah Robles led Clifton with 25 points. Senior guard Xavier Grant contributed nine points of his own for the Mustangs.

The loss is Don Bosco's lone defeat (as of Monday afternoon) in New Jersey this year, having fallen only to Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) on Feb. 1.

Clifton fell to Wayne Valley, 59-46, on Monday night, but bounced back Tuesday with a 77-34 victory over Bergen Tech.

Lavin scored 26 in the romp, while Robles contributed 22.

Video of Lavin's buzzer beater can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEeNYj_T3zw